Knots - Girl Scouts of Utah

Transcription

Knots - Girl Scouts of Utah
Knots
2.5’’
2’’
Click on the button for the level you need:
Brownies
Juniors
Cadettes
Seniors and
Ambassadors
Darker Green: PMS 355
C94 M0 Y100 K0
Outdoor Skills Patch
Knots – Brownies
Learn the skills needed to thrive in an outdoor environment.
Do you know how tie knots and what to use them for? Do you want to learn
games you can play using knots?
PLEASE NOTE:
• Feel free to use the internet to look for videos and other diagrams of how to tie the knots in this
section as it may be easier to understand than written text.
• Try to space out each step between different troop meetings, different times during an overnight
campout, etc. Doing them one right after another might cause the girls to become disinterested
and less engaged.
• The girls will remember less if you try to cram all of these into one troop meeting or lesson.
Step 1:
Learn overhand, square, and slip knots
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn about different types of knots. What
do you think we use knots for?”
a. Knots can be used to tie things together, to stop rope from going through holes, to wrap
rope around poles, etc.
b. You use knots in activities like: sailing, climbing, caving, fishing, firefighting, truck driving
and surgery.
2. “Awesome! Now, there are lots of different knots that exist and they all do different things. It’s
important to learn how to tie different types of knots and what they are used for because if you
use the wrong knot, it could be dangerous.”
a. Before going into the next steps, it might be helpful to print off images of the knots below
so girls can see the diagrams as they are working on the knots. See the resources at the
end of this document.
OVERHAND KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
3. “First we’re going to learn how to tie an overhand knot (first step of tying their shoes if they need a
reference). Overhand knots are used when just a simple knot is needed.”
a. Make "Q" shape. Cross the end of the rope over the top of the remaining rope, making a
"Q" shape.
b. Tuck end through loop.
c. Tighten.
d. The easiest stopper knot to tie, the Overhand
is used to keep a rope from slipping out of a
hole through which it has been threaded.
4. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some
girls are struggling, try pairing them up with girls who
are tying the knot well.
5. “Wow those are some great overhand knots! Can
anyone come up with any ways that we could use this
knot?” Let the girls answer.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Brownies
SQUARE KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
6. Now we are going to learn how to tie a square knot. Square knots are used to join two pieces of
rope that are the same width or two ends together.”
a. Hold one end of a rope in your right hand and one end in your left to prepare to tie the
knot. (You can also use two different colored ropes which makes it easier because you
can say yellow rope and green rope instead of left and right hands.)
b. Loop the right end over the left end all the way around (right over left).
c. Loop the left end, formerly the right end, over the right end all the way around (then left
over right).
d. Pull on all four strands at the same time. This should tighten the knot into place, resulting
in a square knot.
7. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
8. “Wowza those are some great square knots! Can anyone come up with any ways that we could
use this knot?” Let the girls answer.
SLIP KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
9. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a slip knot. Slip knots are used when you need a loop
that you can change the size of.”
a. Hold the rope with two hands and form a loop by bringing the rope in the right hand
under the rope in the left hand so that the rope crosses.
b. Secure the loop with your left hand where the rope crosses.
c. Reach your right hand through the loop and grab a hold of the rope on the left side.
d. Pull your right hand back through the loop.
e. Let go with your left hand, and then grab onto
the two hanging ends.
10. To finish the slip knot, pull your hands away from each
other, twisting your right hand clockwise until the knot
is tight.
11. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some
girls are struggling, try pairing them up with girls who are
tying the knot well.
12. “Gee wiz! Those are some great slip knots! Can anyone
come up with any ways that we could use this knot?”
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Brownies
PRACTICE TIME WITH ALL THREE KNOTS
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
13. “Those are the three knots that we are going to start off with today. Now that we know how to tie
them, let’s see if we can remember them all!”
14. Have the girls practice the three knots in order to help retain what they just learned.
a. You can have the three types of knots written on pieces of paper and have the girls each
draw a slip of paper. Then they complete the knot on their paper. Repeat a few times.
b. You can have three girls get together and tie all three knots, checking each other’s knots to
see if they are right.
c. Or any other ideas the girls might have to show they know how to tie these three knots.
15. Give girls either a rope to take home or some time later to practice tying knots on their own. The
best way to remember how to tie knots is to tie them a lot!
Step 2:
Learn an overhand on a bight and a figure 8 knot
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn 2 more types of knots. But first, let’s
review the knots we learned last time!”
a. Review the overhand, square, and slip knots. Refer to Step 1 for instructions.
b. Before going into the next steps, it might be helpful to print off images of the knots below
so girls can see the diagrams as they are working on the knots. See the resources at the
end of this document.
OVERHAND ON A BIGHT KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
2. “Awesome! Now we’re going to learn how to tie an overhand on a bight. What do you think ‘on a
bight’ means?”
a. A “bight” is a curved section between two ends
of a rope. Any section of rope that is bent into
a U-Shape.
b. To make an overhand on a bight, we are going
to tie the rope in the same way as the normal
overhand just using a bight in the rope on one
end.
i. Make "Q" shape. Cross the end of the
rope over the top of the remaining
rope, making a "Q" shape.
ii. Tuck end through loop.
iii. Tighten.
3. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them up
with girls who are tying the knot well.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Brownies
4. “Wowza those are some great overhand on a bight knots! Can anyone come up with any
ways that we could use this knot?”
a. To attach a carabiner, to loop around a post, when you need a quick and easy loop.
FIGURE EIGHT KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
5. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a figure eight knot. Figure eight knots are used as stopper
knots and in climbing.”
a. Pass the tail over itself to form a loop.
b. Continue under and around the standing end.
c. Complete the knot by passing the tail down through the loop.
d. Tighten
6. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
7. “Amazing! Those are some great figure eight knots! Can anyone come up with any ways that we
could use this knot?”
TEAM CHALLENGE
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, 1 small blanket or towel, a smooth
surface
8. “Now we are going to put our knots to the test! Through a team building knot challenge!”
a. Explain to the girls that through the different knots they have learned, they will need to
work together to complete the challenge in front of them. Everyone needs to tie at least
one knot and everyone’s piece of rope needs to be used.
b. Have one person sit on the blanket or towel about 15 feet away from the group (adjust the
distance depending on the number of girls in the group). Ideally this is a leader or another
person in the area, but this could be a girl if needed.
c. Say to the girls: “
i. Today we were out for a canoe ride and it was so much fun. We were all getting out
of our boats onto the dock that we are all standing on, then when (person on the
blanket) tried to get out of her canoe, a huge gust of wind came sweeping in and
now she is just left floating in the middle of the lake without her paddle. We can’t
get back in our boats because they have all been put away already. But luckily you
girls all have your piece of rope! You can save her now! Working together let’s get
our rope long enough to reach her and give her a handle to grab onto so we can
pull her in. “
ii. “Remember everyone needs to tie at least one knot and everyone’s piece of rope
needs to be used.”
d. Example of how to get this done: each girl will tie a square knot connecting her piece of
rope to the girl’s next to hers. The last girl can tie an overhand on a bight to use as a handle
for the person on the blanket to hold onto. Working together they can all pull the person to
safety.
i. Girls may also be able to complete this in other ways. Encourage creativity!
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Brownies
Step 3:
Play knot tying games and make knot dolls
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to review our knots and play some fun games
with them!
a. Review the overhand, square, slip, overhand on a bight, and figure eight knots. Refer to
Steps 1 and 2 for instructions.
TEST OF STRENGTH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
2. Have the girls stand in a circle holding their ropes (try to spread out the girls so sizes are
intermixed so that weight will be distributed somewhat evenly when they lean back).
3. Each girl ties one end of her rope with a square knot to the rope of the girl on her left. Have the girls
double check each other’s knots. Have an adult walk around and check the knots too.
4. When all knots are tied, have the girls put their feet shoulder width apart with their knees slightly
bent. On the count of three, have the girls all lean back, putting their weight on the rope, keeping
their arms straight out in front of them.
5. The square knot can tie ropes together and hold a lot of weight as well! It is super strong!
CANDY GAME
Materials Needed: 1 dice, several pieces of fun sized candy
6. Have the girls sit in a circle with the candy pieces in the middle.
7. Go around the circle and have every girl toss the dice; having them see what knot their number
connects with:
a. Overhand = 1
b. Square = 2
c. Slip = 3
d. Overhand on a bight = 4
e. Figure 8 on a bight = 5
f. Knot of your choice = 6
8. Once all the girls know what knot they are to tie, have them tie it. Once they have it done, have
them double check each other’s knots. If they are correct, they can get one piece of candy. They
can help support each other as well if someone is having trouble tying their knot.
KNOT DOLL
Materials Needed: 1 piece of cord for each girl – about 3 feet long, 1 piece of cord for each girl about 10
inches long
9. Girls will use the knots they’ve practiced to create a knot doll
10. Tie the following knots in the following order:
a. Fold a 3 foot rope in half. Make the head using an overhand on a
bight.
b. About half way down, tie the hips using a square knot.
c. Tie the feet individually using a figure 8
d. Attach the arms (separate piece of rope) using an overhand knot to
tie it on to the body of the doll.
e. To make the hands, tie an overhand knot at each end.
11. Have the girls give a name to their rope doll!
12. Congratulate the girls on all their new knots they know how to tie! Remind them that the best way
to remember the knots is to keep tying them just for fun!
13. Challenge them to find new ways to use their knots and share with the group at a later time.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Brownies
Resources:
Knot Handout
OVERHAND KNOT
SLIP KNOT
SQUARE KNOT
OVERHAND ON A BIGHT
FIGURE EIGHT
KNOT DOLL
Outdoor Skills Patch
Knots – Juniors
Learn the skills needed to thrive in an outdoor environment.
Do you know how to tie knots and what to use them for? Do you want to use
knots with outdoor activities?
PLEASE NOTE:
• Feel free to use the internet to look for videos and other diagrams of how to tie the knots in this
section as it may be easier to understand than written text.
• Try to space out each step between different troop meetings, different times during an overnight
campout, etc. Doing them one right after another might cause the girls to become disinterested
and less engaged.
• The girls will remember less if you try to cram all of these into one troop meeting or lesson.
Step 1:
Learn the water knot, double overhand, and bowline
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn about different types of knots. What
do you think we use knots for?”
a. Knots can be used to tie things together, to stop rope from going through holes, to wrap
rope around poles, etc.
b. You use knots in activities like: sailing, climbing, caving, fishing, firefighting, truck driving
and surgery.
2. “Awesome! Now, there are lots of different knots that exist and they all do different things. It’s
important to learn how to tie different types of knots and what they are used for because if you
use the wrong knot, it could be dangerous.”
3. “First we’re going to review some knots that we’ve learned in the past!”
a. Review the overhand, square, slip, overhand on a bight, and figure 8 knot.
b. Refer to Brownie Knots Steps 1 and 2 or look online for how to tie these knots.
c. If you did not learn these knots in Brownies, teach them to your girls at this time. These are
basic knots the girls should know.
WATER KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of webbing for each girl – about 3 feet long
4. “Now that we’ve reviewed some knots, we’re going to learn how to tie a water knot. A water knot is
used to join 2 pieces of webbing or 2 ends
of webbing together.”
a. Tie an overhand knot in one end.
b. With the other end, trace-back the
path of the overhand knot.
c. Make sure the tracing is complete.
d. Adjust the knot so both tails (ends
of the webbing) are at least 3″,
and pull tight.
5. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few
times. If some girls are struggling, try
pairing them up with girls who are tying the
knot well.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
6. “Those are some amazing water knots! Can anyone come up with any ways that we could use this
knot?”
a. Used for rock climbing, team building games, used to join together flat pieces like leather
and ribbon
7. Now that we’ve learned this knot, we’re going to play a little game.
a. Have the girls stand in a circle holding their webbing (try to spread out the girls so sizes are
intermixed so that weight will be distributed somewhat evenly when they lean back).
b. Each girl ties one end of her webbing with a water knot to the rope of the girl on her left.
Have the girls double check each other’s knots. Have an adult walk around and check the
knots too.
c. When all knots are tied, have the girls put their feet shoulder width apart with their knees
slightly bent. On the count of three, have the girls all lean back, putting their weight on the
rope, keeping their arms straight out in front of them.
d. The water knot can tie flat pieces of webbing together and hold a lot of weight as well! It is
super strong!
DOUBLE OVERHAND KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
8. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a double overhand
knot. Double overhand knots are used as a reliable,
moderately large stopper knot.”
a. Form a loop in the rope.
b. Pass the end through it.
c. Pass the end through the loop again.
9. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls
are struggling, try pairing them up with girls who are tying the
knot well.
10. “Amazing those are some great double overhand knots! Can
anyone come up with any ways that we could use this knot?”
BOWLINE
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 6 feet long
11. “Stellar! Now we are going to learn how to tie a bowline (pronounced boe-lin). A bowline is used to
form a non-slip loop in the end of a rope.”
a. Form a small loop, leaving enough rope for the desired loop size.
b. Pass the end of the rope through the loop as though making an overhand knot.
c. Continue around the standing end and then back through the small loop.
12. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
13. “Wowzers those are some great bowlines! Can anyone come up with any ways that we could use
this knot?”
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
a. When you need to rescue someone, it can go around their waist and not tighten on them
as the other end gets pulled. To tie around an object that you don’t want the loop size to
change on. Sailing.
14. “Now we are going to put our knot tying skills to a test!”
a. Have the troop divide into pairs. Each pair lines up across from each other. Each girl is
given a piece of rope long enough to tie around her waist with a couple of extra feet. These
ropes should be on the ground by the scout's feet.
b. At the GO signal, each scout picks up her rope and ties a bowline around her waist. Then
they join the rope with their partner’s rope using a square knot. They then back up until the
ropes become taught and hold their hands in the air.
c. The first team done and with their knots tied correctly wins.
d. Make sure to keep playing until all girls have completed the challenge. Have the girls once
finished cheer on the other teams.
Step 2:
Learn the clove hitch, munter’s hitch, and quick release knot
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn 3 more types of knots. But first, let’s
review the knots we learned last time!”
a. Review the water, double overhand, and bowline knots. Refer to Step 1 for instructions.
CLOVE HITCH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, a carabiner or post for girls to make
hitches around
2. “Awesome! Now we’re going to learn how to tie a clove hitch. A clove
hitch is used to secure a rope to a post and won’t slip around.”
3. “There are 2 ways to tie a clove hitch, the first is making loops, and
this one is useful when you have a top of a post you can slide it over
or can insert it into an opening like a carabiner.”
a. Form a loop in the rope.
b. Then form a second one – “the same way up.” Both loops
should be identical.
c. Cross the loops one above the other so they form a knot –
instead of just two loops stacked on each other.
d. Place the knot over the post or into the carabiner.
4. “The second way is when you have a post that you don’t have
access to either end of.”
a. Pass the end of the rope around the pole.
b. Take the end that went behind the pole and lay it over the
other end of the rope (making an “x” shape).
c. Take that top rope and put it behind the post again.
d. When it comes back to the front, lift up the “x” shape and slide it
under.
e. Pull tight to form the clove hitch.
5. Let the girls practice tying the knot both ways a few times. If some girls
are struggling, try pairing them up with girls who are tying the knot well.
6. “Amazing those are some great clove hitches! Can anyone come up with
any ways that we could use this knot?” Tying a rope between two
poles/trees is the most common way it is used – like a clothes line.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
MUNTER HITCH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, a carabiner or post for girls to make
hitches around
7. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a munter’s hitch. Munter’s hitches are used wrap around a
post when you want the rope to move. They are also used a lot in rock climbing and
canyoneering.”
a. Pass the rope into the carabiner
(or like object).
b. Twist the rope above into a loop
and hook it onto the carabiner.
8. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few
times. If some girls are struggling, try
pairing them up with girls who are tying
the knot well.
9. “Geewiz those are some great munter
hitches! Can anyone come up with any
ways that we could use this knot?”
a. Emergency climbing/rescue situations as a belay tool.
QUICK RELEASE KNOT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, a carabiner or post for girls to make
knot around
10. “Awesome Sauce! Now we are going to learn how to tie a quick release knot. Quick release knots
are used when working with horses.”
a. Put the end of the rope through the tie ring/ around the post/or similar object.
b. Wrap the loose end once around the rope, creating a circle.
c. Fold the loose end into a loop, and pull it through the circle.
d. If your horse is mouthy, tuck the loose end through the loop so that he can't untie himself.
11. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing
them up with girls who are tying the knot well.
12. “Amazing, those are some great quick release knots! Can anyone come up with any other
ways that we could use this knot?”
13. Optional: To put these knots to practice, go horse backing riding with your girls and let
them practice tying the horses up themselves.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
Step 3:
Learn the figure 8 on a bight and with a follow through and
monkey chain
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn 3 more types of knots. But first, let’s
review the knots we learned last time!”
a. Review the water knot, double overhand knot, bowline knot, clove hitch, munter’s hitch,
and quick release knot. Refer to Steps 1 and 2 for instructions.
b. Have the girls get into smaller groups of 3-6 people, each person having their own rope.
c. Give each group a set of index cards or pieces of paper with one knot per card/paper
written on it.
d. Ask the girls to work together as a team to complete each knot.
FIGURE 8 ON A BIGHT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, a carabiner or post for girls to make
knot around
2. “First we’re going to learn 2 variations of the
figure 8 knot. The figure eight knot is one of the
strongest knots and is most often used in rock
climbing.”
a. We’ll start off with learning a figure
eight on a bight.
i. Take a bight of rope.
ii. Pass the bite over itself to form
a loop.
iii. Continue under and around
the standing end.
iv. Complete the knot by passing the bite down through the loop.
v. Tighten
b. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them
up with girls who are tying the knot well.
FIGURE 8 WITH A FOLLOW THROUGH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, a carabiner for girls to make knot
around
3. Now we are going to try the figure 8 with a follow through
a. Start by tying a loose figure 8 knot. Leave
a long tail for the follow through.
b. Pass the tail through a carabiner.
c. Follow the original figure 8 around the
entire knot in reverse.
d. Exit beside the standing end to
complete a two stranded figure 8 knot.
4. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If
some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
5. “Gee those are some great figure eights! Can
anyone come up with any ways that we could
use this knot?”
6. “What is the purpose of having 2 different ways
to tie this knot?”
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
MONKEY CHAIN
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long
7. Now we are going to learn how to monkey chain rope (also known as a
daisy chain). This is used when a rope is hanging, but you want to
temporarily tie it up.
a. Make a loop in the rope.
b. Form another loop and tuck it into the first loop.
c. Make another loop and tuck it into the previous loop. Keep
repeating.
d. When the chain is long enough, lock it by passing the end
through the final loop.
e. With an untucked end, you should be able to just pull the end
and unravel your chain.
8. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are
struggling, try pairing them up with girls who are tying the knot well.
9. “Amazing those are some great monkey chains! Can anyone come up
with any ways that we could use this knot?”
10. Optional: After you have learned how to tie all these climbing knots, go
climbing with your girls and let them try out tying the knots
themselves!
Resources:
Knot Handout
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
WATER KNOT
DOUBLE OVERHAND KNOT
BOWLINE
CLOVE HITCH
MUNTER HITCH
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Juniors
QUICK RELEASE KNOT
FIGURE EIGHT ON A BIGHT
FIGURE EIGHT WITH A FOLLOW THROUGH
MONKEY CHAIN
Outdoor Skills Patch
Knots – Cadettes
Learn the skills needed to thrive in an outdoor environment.
Do you know how to tie knots and what to use them for? Do you want to use
knots for unique jewelry projects?
PLEASE NOTE:
• Feel free to use the internet to look for videos and other diagrams of how to tie the knots in this
section as it may be easier to understand than written text.
• Try to space out each step between different troop meetings, different times during an overnight
campout, etc. Doing them one right after another might cause the girls to become disinterested
and less engaged.
• The girls will remember less if you try to cram all of these into one troop meeting or lesson.
Step 1:
Learn the double fisherman’s, trucker’s hitch, and sheet bend
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn different types of knots. What do you
think we use knots for?”
a. Knots can be used to tie things together, to stop rope from going through holes, to wrap
rope around poles, etc.
b. You use knots in activities like: sailing, climbing, caving, fishing, firefighting, truck driving
and surgery.
2. “Awesome! Now, there are lots of different knots that exist and they all do different things. It’s
important to learn how to tie different types of knots and what they are used for because if you
use the wrong knot, it could be dangerous.”
3. “First we’re going to review some knots that we’ve learned in the past!”
a. Review the knots from the Brownie and Junior Knots curriculum guides or look online for
resources:
i. Brownies: overhand, square, slip, overhand on a bight, and a figure 8 knot
ii. Juniors: water, double overhand, bowline, clove hitch, munter’s hitch, quick release
knot, figure 8 on a bight and with a follow through and monkey chain
b. Be sure you can demonstrate that you know how to tie these knots and why you’d use
these knots.
c. Optional: See how fast, while still accurate, you can tie certain knots while having your
eyes closed!
d. The best way to remember how to tie knots is to keep tying them!
DOUBLE FISHERMAN’S
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, cord or sting for necklaces, beads
(optional) for necklaces
4. “Now that we’ve reviewed some knots, we are going to learn how to tie a double fisherman’s knot.
Double fisherman’s knots are used to combine two pieces of rope together.”
a. Set the two ends together, each pointing in opposite directions.
b. Wrap one end around both ropes two times. Pass this end back through the loops that
these turns created and pull tight.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
c. Do the same on the other side: wrap the other end two times around both ropes. Pass this
end back through and pull tight.
d. Make sure both sides of the knot sit
against each other (if they don’t, untie
one end, and try wrapping it in the other
direction).
e. Pull on both ropes tight to cinch the two
knots against each other
5. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If
some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
6. “Those are some great double fisherman’s
knots! Can anyone come up with any ways that
we could use this knot?”
7. “Now, one of my favorite ways to use this knot is
to make a necklace from cord. Because all you
have to do is slide the knots to loosen or tighten
your necklace!
a. Now we are going to make necklaces and in the end, tie them off using a double
fisherman’s knot.
b. Spend some time making necklaces or friendship bracelets (you can have the girls
incorporate different knots into their pieces).
TRUCKER’S HITCH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 6 feet long, 2 chairs (or other sturdy
objects)
8. “Now we’re going to learn how to tie a trucker’s hitch. A trucker’s hitch is used to tighten
and secure items.”
a. Tie one end of the 6 foot rope to one of
the chair’s leg.
b. About mid-way on the rope tie a slip
knot in the middle of the line.
c. Make a wrap around the leg of another
chair. Feed the free end through the
loop of the slip knot.
d. Using the loop as a pulley, pull down
with the free end as tight as you can
and secure the knot with two half
hitches around one or both lines. (Not sure what a half hitch is? Research it!)
9. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing
them up with girls who are tying the knot well.
10. “Gee those are some great trucker hitches! Can anyone come up with any ways that we
could use this knot?”
a. Tying down boats to cars, securing items in trailers, tying down rain flys on tents.
b. If you have the resources available, try to give the girls time to practice tying a
trucker’s hitch in a “real life” scenario.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
SHEET BEND
Materials Needed: 2 pieces of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long that are different diameters
11. “Stellar! Now we are going to learn how to tie a sheet bend. A sheet bend is used to tie two ropes
of unequal thickness together.”
a. Form a bight in the
thicker rope and hold it in
one hand.
b. Pass the thinner rope
through the bite and
behind the other’s tail
and standing ends in that
order.
c. Finally, tuck the smaller
rope under itself to finish
the knot.
12. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them up with
girls who are tying the knot well.
13. “Gee those are some great sheet bends!”
Step 2:
Learn the barrel hitch and how to tie a Swiss seat
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn 2 more types of knots. But first, let’s
review the knots we learned last time!”
a. Review the truckers hitch, sheet bend, and a double fisherman’s knot. Refer to Step 1 for
instructions.
BARREL HITCH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 5 feet long, Bucket (or cup) filled with water
(enough to split the girls into smaller groups and have one each
2. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a
barrel hitch. A barrel hitch is used when
you need to lift a barrel or other container
filled with liquid.”
a. Stand the barrel on the lifting rope.
b. Tie an overhand knot across the
top.
c. Spread the overhand knot until it
embraces the top of the barrel.
d. Join the ends with a bowline and
lift.
3. Let the girls practice tying the knot a few
times. If some girls are struggling, try
pairing them up with girls who are tying the
knot well.
4. Have a quick competition and divide the girls into teams of 4 or less. The girls must work as a team
to tie a bucket with the barrel hitch and carry it at least 10 feet without losing any water from the
inside.
5. “Spectacular those are some great barrel hitches!”
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
SWISS SEAT
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 10 feet long
6. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a Swiss seat. This can be used in an emergency situation if
you need a harness.” Adapted from http://timothygroup.org/rappellingropes/2013/9/9/how-totie-an-emergency-harness-swiss-seat
a. Make a bight in the center of the rope by folding it in half.
b. Hold the bight on your non-dominant side hip. (If you are right handed, on your left. If you
are left handed, on your right side.)
c. Pull one end of the rope entirely around your waist. Both ends should now be in front of
you.
d. Tie a double overhand knot around your body at approximately waist level (ensure it is
above your hips.) This is the belt/waist part of the harness. It doesn’t need to be tight, just
pulled comfortably around your
middle.
e. Grab both ends of the rope and pull
them under your body between your
legs.
f. Reach behind you and grab the two
ropes the ropes should be pulled
towards the small of your back.
Position the ropes to they are on the
outside edge of your bottom.
g. Pass the ends over the outside of the
belt portion and back through the side
touching your body.
h. Pull the rope up over your shoulders.
Squat downward and stand up slowly a couple of times while pulling tension in the rope
ends. Pull tightly and snugly while standing. You do not want any slack at this time.
i. Continue to hold tension; pulling each end towards the opposing outsides of your body.
Meet both ends on your non-dominant hand side.
j. Tie a square knot with the two ends on your hip in order to secure the harness. Your knot
should be clean and neat.
k. Finish the harness by tying half a double fisherman’s knot on the outside of the square
knot.
l. If you are using in an emergency situation, attach a carabiner to the front.
7. Let the girls practice tying the Swiss Seat a few times. If some girls are struggling, try pairing them
up with girls who are tying the knot well.
8. “Wonderful, those are some great Swiss seats! Can anyone come up with any ways that we could
use this knot?”
a. Broken harness, need a harness to get down/up a canyon wall
b. “These harnesses are only meant to be used in emergency situations. If you are
going someplace where you will need a harness, pack a manufactured harness.
These are a safer and more reliable method.”
9. Please do not use the Swiss seats for climbing activities. This is provided more as an informational
piece. If you want to learn more about Swiss seats and how to use them while climbing, please
contact an outside vendor.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
Step 3:
Learn the monkey’s fist and cobra stitch
1. Gather the girls up and explain “Today we are going to learn 2 more types of knots. But first, let’s
review the knots we learned last time!”
a. Review the truckers hitch, sheet bend, bowline, barrel hitch, and Swiss seat. Refer to Steps
1 and 2 for instructions.
MONKEY’S FIST
Materials Needed: 1 piece of parachute cord for each girl – about 3 feet long, 1 marble per girl
2. “Now we are going to learn how to tie a monkey’s fist. A monkey’s fist
is used to weight the end of a heaving line.”
a. Wrap three turns around your fingers. Pass the end through
the middle.
b. Make three more turns around the first ones. Pass the end
through the middle.
c. Make three more turns locking the previous turns and
remove fingers.
d. Stuff a marble into the middle.
e. Tighten every turn.
3. Let the girls practice. It may take a few tries before figuring out the
knot.
a. For more fun, turn your monkey fist into a necklace to wear!
4. “Spectacular those are some great monkey’s fists! Can anyone come up with any ways that we
could use this knot?”
a. When throwing something to someone in the water to hold onto.
COBRA STITCH
Materials Needed: 1 piece of parachute cord for each girl – about 6 feet long
5. “Geewiz! Now we are going to learn how to tie a Cobra Stitch. This knot takes a large amount of
rope and condenses it into something smaller to carry around.”
a. Make a loop and tie an overhand knot.
b. Tie a half knot around the loop and tighten.
c. Keeping the same rope in front, tie another half knot and tighten.
d. Keep repeating.
e. Leave the last several knots loose.
f. Tuck the ends inside the loose knots.
g. Tighten the loose half knots and trim the ends off.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
6. Let the girls practice. It may take a few tries before figuring out the knot.
a. For more fun: Add a carabiner or split key ring onto the loop and keep it with your outdoor
gear.
b. For an even greater challenge: Can you turn the cobra stitch into a survival bracelet?
7. “Amazing those are some great cobra stitches! Can anyone come up with any ways that we could
use this knot?”
8. Have some fun with these decorative knots. You might make some cobra stitches for younger girl
scouts or a monkey fist to give to important people in the girls’ lives.
Resources:
Knot Handout
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots – Cadettes
DOUBLE FISHERMAN’S
TRUCKER’S HITCH
SHEET BEND
BARREL HITCH
SWISS SEAT
MONKEY FIST
COBRA STITCH
Outdoor Skills Patch
Knots – Seniors & Ambassadors
Learn the skills needed to thrive in an outdoor environment.
Do you know how to tie knots and what to use them for? Do you want to
learn how to lash?
PLEASE NOTE:
• This guide is written in a way that a girl can pick it up and go through the steps without having a
Troop Leader lead the session for her.
• Feel free to use the internet to look for videos and other diagrams of how to tie the knots in this
section as it may be easier to understand than written text.
• Try to space out each step between different time frames. Doing them one right after another
might cause you to become disinterested and less engaged.
Step 1:
Learn to square, diagonal, and sheer lash
1. First we’re going to review some knots that we’ve learned in the past (or they might be new to
you).
a. Review the knots from the Brownie, Junior, and Cadette Knots curriculum guides or look
online for resources:
i. Brownies: overhand, square, slip, overhand on a bight, and a figure 8 knot
ii. Juniors: water, double overhand, bowline, clove hitch, munter’s hitch, quick
release knot, figure 8 on a bight and with a follow through and monkey chain
iii. Cadettes: double fisherman’s, trucker’s hitch, sheet bend, barrel hitch, how to tie
a Swiss seat, monkey’s fist, and cobra stitch
b. Be sure you can demonstrate that you know how to tie these knots and why you’d use
these knots.
2. Now that we’ve reviewed some knots, we’re going to learn how to lash. Lashing is used to join
together poles in order to create useful items. Today we are going to learn the most commonly
used lashing methods.
3. Following the lashing methods below, make and keep miniature versions of the different types of
lashing. You may also try combining different lashing techniques.
4.
SQUARE LASHING
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl –
about 3 feet long, 2 sticks per girl of similar
thickness
5. Start with a clove hitch around one pole.
6. Twist short end around long and wrap the
rope around both poles, alternately going
over and under each pole about three or
four turns.
7. Tighten the lashing by surrounding it with
three or four frapping turns.
8. Finish with two or three tight half hitches.
Not sure what a half hitch is? Research it!
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots– Seniors & Ambassadors
DIAGONAL LASHING
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl
– about 3 feet long, 2 sticks per girl of similar
thickness
9. Start with a single timber hitch around
both poles. Not sure what a timber hitch
is? Research it!
10. Wrap three or four turns around the two
poles in one axis followed by three or four
turns in the other axis.
11. Tighten the lashing by surrounding it with
three or four frapping turns.
12. Finish with a clove hitch.
ROUND LASHING
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet
long, 2 sticks per girl of similar thickness
13.
14.
15.
16.
Start with a clove hitch around both poles.
Wrap six or eight turns around the two poles.
Finish with another clove hitch.
Two round lashings can be used to make a longer pole.
SHEAR LASHING
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for each girl – about 3 feet long, 2 sticks per girl of similar
thickness
17. Tie a clove hitch around one pole.
18. Wrap both poles with a simple lashing.
19. Wrap the lashing with a two or three tight frapping turns.
20. Tie off the end with a clove hitch.
21. Spread the poles to make shear legs.
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots– Seniors & Ambassadors
TRIPOD LASHING
Materials Needed: 1 piece of rope for
each girl – about 3 feet long, 3 sticks per
girl of similar thickness
22. Start with a clove hitch around one
pole.
23. Wrap about six racking turns around
the three poles weaving in and out
between them.
24. Make two or three tight frapping
turns in the two gaps.
25. Finish with a clove hitch.
26. Cross the two outside poles to form the tripod.
Step 2:
Lash together a floating campfire
(or something similar if you don’t have the water resources to do a floating campfire)
Materials Needed: Buoyant platform (logs, pvc pipes, or old foam blocks), kindling sized
sticks, tarp, sand, fire wood, matches, marshmallows
1. Review the lashing types from Step 1.
2. Start with a platform. The platform must be buoyant – and stable enough – to hold the
weight of the frame, the foundation, and the fire layer itself. Options for the platform
include: logs 8-10” in diameter, large and enclosed PVC pipes, and old foam blocks.
3. These foundation pieces need to be lashed together to form a solid, level base that floats
pretty high in the water.
4. A cross frame is then applied on top of the base and is used to lay a “floor” for the rest of
the fire to sit upon. Round lash together kindling sticks for this layer.
5. Lay a tarp down on top of the floor with a layer of sand on top as an insulation/ground
layer of the fire.
6. Now that everything is pieced together, build your fire, float it onto a lake, and get ready to
roast some marshmallows!
Step 3:
Lash together a table
Materials Needed: Sticks, multiple pieces of rope of various lengths
1. Review the lashing types from Step 1.
2. Lash together a table.
a. The only requirement is the table should be at least 3 feet from the ground and 4
feet long.
b. The table should be able to hold at least 20 pounds of weight.
Resources:
Knot Handout
Outdoor Skills Patch | Knots– Seniors & Ambassadors
SQUARE LASHING
DIAGONAL LASHING
ROUND LASHING
SHEAR LASHING
TRIPOD LASHING